MUMBAI: The voting for the much-awaited 6th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards has commenced at the J.W. Marriott hotel in Mumbai. IIFA Awards brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan arrived on the first day of the Voting Week to cast his vote for the nominations.

Held under the strict supervision of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the voting will be open from 30 March to 3 April.

Speaking on the awards, Bachchan said, "The IIFA Awards have marked the beginning of a new era for recognizing and applauding the achievements of Indian Cinema. Regarded as one of the most credible award process in India and abroad, I am proud to be associated with IIFA for the past six years and my commitment remains undiluted."

Absolute credibility has remained a constant in the evolution of the IIFA Awards process; Created in conjunction with the internationally reputed audit firm PriceWaterhouse Coopers (auditors for Hollywood's Academy Awards), who independently monitor all voting and compilation activities, informs an official release.

On the occasion PriceWaterhouseCoopers senior partner Pravin Ghatalia said, "We ensure extreme confidentiality, credibility and secrecy right from the time application forms start coming in, to the day when envelopes are opened on stage at the awards ceremony."

The advisory board of the IIFA comprises veterans like Jaya Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, David Dhawan, Ramesh Sippy, J.P.Dutta, Shyam Shroff, Pehlaj Nihalani, Vinod Khanna and Karan Johar.

Launched five years ago at the Millennium Dome, London, the IIFA Awards have been subsequently held at the Sun City in South Africa, Genting Islands in Malaysia and The Dome@ Northgate in Johannesburg and the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore in 2004, the release adds.